


Starcrossed

by SynfulEnigma



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Breaking Up & Making Up, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Sexual Humor, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:14:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21606613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SynfulEnigma/pseuds/SynfulEnigma
Summary: The death of Emily Prentiss hit the BAU hard. No one got to say good bye. Unfortunately, the bad guys don't care. Cue Ophelia Ridgemont, the newest and youngest member of the BAU. When her and a certain young doctor build connections, who knows what the future would hold in store for them?
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter One

Chapter One

She entered he bullpen, unsure of what she should have been expecting. A young blond sat at a desk with her nose inside a case folder. The darker man was eying her down without hesitation. She took that as a cue from the behavioral analysis unit; comes with the territory. The last person who stuck out to her was a younger guy wearing a preppier cardigan ensemble. He was attempting to be more secretive than the other man, but eyes flitting from his computer screen to her presence were all too obvious. Her destination was beyond the communal work area. She was looking for the office of SSA Aaron Hotchner.

“Ah, you must be Ophelia Ridgemont,” a bubbly voice said from behind her. She turned around and found a blond woman adorned in a poppy, lolita style attire.

“You are very correct. And you are?”

“Penelope Garcia, the local tech analyst and nerdy girl. Welcome to the team,” she said back, hand out for a handshake. Ophelia took it, giving the the woman a genuine smile of relief.

“So, are you the welcoming party? Or is everyone else just not that friendly? Because I'm not going to lie to you Penelope, between the eyes on me but the same amount of ignoring, I kind of feel like I'm living that dream where you show up to high school naked,” she admitted, taking a breath.

“Oh sweetie, it's Garcia. We go by last names around here. I associate it with the testosterone filled environment of the BAU. And to answer your question about the rest of the team? I'm sure you have been briefed on the recent loss of our member, Emily Prentiss. We are all still grieving. You see, here, we are a family. It was like losing your best friend, your sister. I promise these people are warm and welcoming. Please just give them the chance to show you that,” Garcia said, almost as if she was begging her not to turn around and leave immediately.

“Everyone deserves a chance Garcia, especially during times like this. I'm excited to get to know you and everyone else more. But right now, I'm to report to SSA Aaron Hotchner,” she said with a smile meaning business now. Garcia pointed at the office about twenty feet from her. What should have been a three second walk felt like an eternity. The details of the case where Emily Prentiss had died rang through her thoughts. She knew she was in here as her replacement. The shoes she had to fill were impossibly too big. “Family” was the phrase that kept coming to the surface. Becoming a part of a family didn't happen overnight and that thought scared her to death. Finally, she turned the door handle and walked into the office. Strauss was already in there waiting for her along with who she guessed was Aaron Hotchner.

“Five minutes early as always Miss Ridgemont. Welcome to the BAU. This is Aaron Hotchner, unit chief of this BAU team. You will be working with SSA's Derek Morgan, Ashley Seaver, David Rossi, and Spencer Reid,” she said.

“Dr. Spencer Reid,” was all Hotch said from behind his desk. Chief Strauss simply nodded before exiting the office. Hotch got up from his desk and came around, offering his hand to her.

“We are very happy to have you joining our team. As you know, I'm Aaron Hotchner. The team always shortens to last names and in my case shorter than that. I typically go by Hotch. Let me formally introduce you to the team,” he said opening the door and allowing her to exit first. Somehow, the energy in the bullpen had changed since when she had first entered. It was as if the presence of their leader changed everything; or the presence of Strauss leaving changed everyone's tones. The original group of people that spoke to to her were the ones to rise from their seats and desks to approach her.

“Alright everyone, this is our newest member SSA Ophelia Ridgemont,” Hotch said to the group.

“Wow, that's a mouthful of a name. I'm Derek Morgan,” said the colored man. His smile was much more friendly than when she first entered.

“Ashley Seaver. Looks like I lost newbie status pretty quickly,” she joked, earning a small giggle from everyone in the group.

“Then that must make you Dr. Spencer Reid,” she said with her hand out stretched in a typical manner. He looked her in the eyes, gave her a sweet smile and a small wave. She pulled back, taking the hint.

“And coming through the door now is David Rossi along with our tech analyst Penelope Garcia. We are going to go over a case now and head out. I assume you are prepped and have a go bag at the ready?” Hotch asked her. She shook her head yes and followed them in a conference room. Garcia handed out case files to each member.

“I kind of didn't think to make an extra case file set, oopsie,” Garcia said. Spencer opened his case file open towards her, signaling for her to share with him. She scooted her chair over and started reading through the profile. Garcia was highlighting points and pictures on the interactive screen for everyone.

“Whoa, that is an intense amount of overkill. There is no way that is a one person job. He or she would have been caught making that much of a scene,” Ophelia said without thinking. She put her hand over her mouth and whispered sorry to Spencer next to her.

“Don't be sorry, communication is a vital pillar of our job. Any ideas you have need to be communicated,” he whispered to her. The consolation finished and everyone gathered their go bags to head to Portland, Oregon. Her bring pink duffel bag was still in her car so it took her minimal time to get to the BAU's jet. Spencer was the only other person on the jet when she entered, so she took a seat next to him.

“I just wanted to say thank you in there. I'm so nervous about all of this. You guys have been a team, a family as Garcia said, for so long. And I know you all have taken such an immense emotional hit recently. I was just so worried...” she said before being interrupted.

“You were worried we wouldn't want or be willingly to accept such a new person into our team yet. Ophelia, I want you to be assured that we are quite the welcoming group. Losing Emily is tragic, but that hasn't changed who we are. We are excited to have you here,” he said to her in a comforting tone. They just sat smiling at each other for a few seconds until someone else entered the jet.

“Looks like someone is just as punctual as boy wonder over here!” Morgan said, sitting across from them.

“It's a curse and a blessing really,” she said, adjusting in her seat.

“So, before things get too serious with the case, what is your story?” Morgan asked, looking at her. She knew this was as much of a low key conversation as much as it was to build a profile on her.

“Well, I originally grew up in small town Indiana, Columbia City to be exact. I attended Notre Dame and received degrees psychoanalysis, forensics sciences, and a minor in philosophy. I'm taking some classes in Sociology right now and trying for my PhD. I went through my FBI training and then originally ended up in the terrorism task force, but then was asked to transfer here with you guys,” she said. Spencer looked at her impressed by her educational background.

“Now, about your personal life?” Morgan asked.

“All my family still lives back home, blue collar, just like how I grew up. I have one cousin in Las Vegas, she's an elementary school teacher. And here with me is my cat Eli. I'm as single as single gets. I believe right now I am wanting to focus on my career and education,” she said, attempting to ward off any advancements. Before anyone could say anything else about the situation, they were getting ready to take of and briefing the case once more. What should have felt like hours felt like minutes before they were landing in Portland. The sun was out and she was slipping her sunglasses on and grabbing her duffel bag.

“So, you always hate the sun?” Spencer asked her.

“Always have, sunlight gives me intense migraines. I always got the vampire jokes growing up,” she said.

“Interesting,” Spencer said before letting her exit the jet ahead of him. Ophelia and Reid were setting up their headquarters at he local police station. They pinned pictures in a neat and organized manner and started in on theories and possibilities of the unsub. A call came in from Hotch and Rossi, confirming that this was not a a gang, but one erratic personality.

“Well this changes everything,” Ophelia said, erasing everything from their whiteboard to start over. They went over crime scene photos for hours and evidence from the scene. Both the agents were exhausted and rubbing their eyes. Ophelia could feel an oncoming migraine from lack of sleep and to much caffeine. She pulled out her bottle of Excedrin and swallowed two with her bottle of water.

“Does that actually help you?” Spencer asked her, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I'm not going to claim it works 100% of the time, but it takes off an edge every time at least. Here, try it,” she said, tossing him the bottle of pills.

“I don't take medicines like this, I don't like alerting my body chemicals,” he said, tossing it back to her.

“And all the coffee and sugar you've consumed since we got to Portland will alter your body and mind much more than these pills ever will. Just try them,” she said tossing the bottle back. He took them with an obvious hesitation. They were comparing notes with each other, ignoring the time.

“Ophelia, wake up,” she heard. A gentle shake pulled her to and she opened her eyes. Her head was resting against Spencer's chest. As soon as she realized this, she shot straight up in her seat. She could feel the blush growing over her cheeks.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry. You barely know me,” she said, trying to collect herself.

“You are fine. We've been asleep for about three hours. We should probably get some actual sleep were I'm not using a chair for a pillow and you aren't using me,” he said with a small laugh and smile. They got to the hotel and found everyone else already there but still awake.

“You left us?” Spencer said to the group.

“You guys were working hard and we didn't want to interrupt you. Why, did something happen?” Hotch asked, They two looked at each other and didn't say a word.

“Nope, just heading to bed. Who am I rooming with this time?” Spencer asked, sounding like he was always the leftover in rooming situations. They pointed at Ophelia and Morgan handed them the key card, along with a joking wink. They both rolled their eyes and made it to their room.

“Is it OK if I shower first?” Ophelia asked.

“Yea, no problem. I'll read and book while you get ready for bed,” he said, pulling out a novel. She drug her bag into the bathroom and showered, soaking in the hot water. She towel dried her hair and changed into her pajamas: an old Notre Dame tank top and soft fabric shorts. She exited the bathroom and saw Spencer reading, flipping pages what felt like every few seconds consistently. He caught her watching him and he put the novel down.

“I have an eidetic memory, I can read and comprehend 20,000 words a minute. Recently, I haven't been reading as much with these migraines,” he said, now getting up from the bed and grabbing his bag. He went into the bathroom and began getting ready for bed. She picked up the novel from his side table and started reading it. It was some classical literature she had never heard of. He was out within 10 minutes and she was still flipping pages, getting into the book.

“This is so good. Can I borrow it when you are done?” she asked excited.

“Actually, I've read that probably a hundred times. You can borrow it now if you want,” he said back to her. She found it weird having him stand in front of her wearing sweatpants and a baggy t shirt with tousled wet hair. Ophelia grabbed her sleep aids and poured them into her hands and set the bottle on her end table. She knew if she didn't take these, she wouldn't be falling asleep.

“You haven't been sleeping lately right? From your migraines?” she asked Spencer. He looked at her as if she could read minds.

“Yea, you are right. How did you know that?” he asked.

“Well, I've suffered from migraines since I was in the fourth grade. They would get so bad I would go temporarily blind and throw up from them. I have gained some control over them through the years. They come and go, depending on my sleep, diet, and stress levels. Have you seen a doctor yet,” she asked him.

“I have, but they all said nothing was wrong,” he said, sounding desperate for answers.

“Aww, sweetheart, I'm sure they are right. I missed almost two months of school my sixth grade year because they thought I had a brain tumor. Dozens of doctors and tests later, we figured out I just had a two month long migraine from hell. In the end, I was also diagnosed as fine. Every test and scan came back completely normal. For some of us with over active brains, it's just something that happens,” she said, getting back into the bed.

“Could I, maybe also have a dose of those?” he said pointing to her sleep aids.

“Of course Spence,” she said, handing him the bottle of pills. He took them and lay down in the bed and they both turned the lamps out. She heard light snoring coming from Spencer minutes after the lights went out. A thought came over her of how long it had been since he had been able to have a decent nights sleep. She had also drifted off to dreamland minutes after.

“Reid, PhiPhi, wake up!” they heard from the hallway. Both of them were slowly coming to. Spencer realized his arm was around Ophelia and she was snuggled into him. She opened her eyes, staring into his. Another knock on the door from Morgan snapped them back into reality and Ophelia ran to the door.

“Another body has been found. All the information is on both of your cell phones, meet us there as soon as you guys can. Also, did Reid actually sleep last night?” Morgan asked.

“Yea, like a baby. And PhiPhi? She asked with her eyebrow up.

“Ophelia is too much. Ridgemont is too much. And Ridge sounds like you should be playing first string quarterback. So PhiPhi it is. And thank you, wonder boy has been acting right since Emily, you know,” he said and walked away. Spencer had already taken to the bathroom. Once he was changed, Ophelia went in immediately after. She was changed in seconds, grabbed her gun and badge and was tying her back in a pony tail as they were headed towards where the GPS was taking them.

They arrived on the scene last, showing credentials and entering the tape. They both went upstairs and met up with Morgan. All three analyzed the scene after hearing what neighbors had to say.

“It sounds to me like this guy is a schizophrenic suffering from delusions,” Morgan announced to them. Spencer almost had a look of hurt in his eyes that confused Ophelia.

“We can't rule out drugs. Look at this area. In the one alley, we found needles and vials scattered everywhere. Plus, we need to take into consideration why this guy was buying mass amounts of water and salt. That is what doesn't add up to me,” she said.

“Exorcisms. Guys, what if he does have schizophrenia and he is trying to rid himself of the demons in his head. Lot's of people seem to connect the delusions to demonic profession. What if the unsub is turning to the one thing that has only ever helped before? I bet he is going to a church somewhere in his comfort zone after realizing his homemade exorcise didn't work,” Spencer said, getting a hold of Garcia immediately to find the churches. Ophelia was awaiting a phone call from Morgan and Reid back at the station. She got the call, compiling the new evidence on their board, narrowing their spectrum of what to look for. At that moment, her phone went off.

“Yea, Hotch?” she asked, trying to sound as casual as everyone else on the phone.

“There's been another body. Garcia is sending you the address. Morgan and Reid are circling back to come get you. See you then.” he said, hanging up the phone when it sounded like reporters and police were in the background. She gathered her crime scene investigation tools and made her way into the lobby of the police station. Spencer was just heading in the door and met up with her.

“Do you have any idea what were are looking at?” she asked, hopping instinctual in the back seat with Spencer.

“Overkill and aggression, more than even with the other two. This unsub's delusions are becoming more broken and more controlling over him. I'm sure the scene will tell us more once we get there,” he said, looking over a map with colored pin points on it.

“So, what does this map tell you?” she asked.

“It helps make a geographical profile for the unsub. It can key us in on where they feel comfortable. Typically, this will help us pin point where they either live or work. Once we get their area of comfort to hunt or dispose in, we can close in on their home address or line of work. This going in hand with other evidence found from M.O, victimology, eye witness reports and other things can narrow down a search like that,” he said, snapping his fingers together.

“It's like this jigsaw puzzle of logic,” she said, looking over this map with Spencer. He looked at her, grinning at her amusement with his work. They made it to the latest crime scene, realizing it fell perfectly in the geographical profile. The three of them walked into the apartment, looking at the scene.

“She's older than the other victims. I bet she represents someone like a mom or a grandma,” Ophelia said.

“His mom is the one who had the exorcism done to him, it has to be her,” Morgan said.

“Seventy one stab wounds. That takes so much out of a person,” Spencer said, imitating stabbing on his own leg in the process,” even ten movements of that action make your arm tired. After stabbing someone seventy one times over and over again, your body would have to be close to collapsing at that point,”

Ophelia got on the ground, close and personal with the body. That's when she noticed the imprint in the carpet.

“Guys, he was sleeping here next to the body,” she said, outling where he lay with her pointer finger.

“He is overkilling so he can sleep. Sleep is the only way he can escape his delusions, so he has to exhaust himself,” Spencer said, calling everyone with their new information. Garcia finds them a name matching all the evidence: Ben Foster. Spencer and Ophelia get back into the SUV with Morgan and went speeding to the address. Ophelia grabbed the handle, not enjoying the fast paced travel. Spencer was already death gripping the same handle on his side with both hands. They got the address and Morgan took the first raid with Hotch and Rossi. Seconds after them, Spencer and Ophelia entered the house with their guns drawn. They each separated into groups. Hotch wanted Ophelia to tag along with he and Spencer since this was a relatively new thing to Ophelia, especially with this group. Each team was up and down streets, alleys, and backyards looking for their unsub on the run. They were getting frustrated when Hotch noticed some kids shutting curtains, looking scared. Using only hand signals, the three of them prepared to storm the house. Hotch called for backup, knowing they would have to make the first move and hope backup came quickly after seeing the damage this man could cause alone. Hotch busted down the door, seeing Ben with two children as hostages.

“Ben, put the knife down,”Ophelia said, gun aimed at him. He freaked out, looking as though he was arguing with people standing next to Spencer.

“Ben, are the people telling you to do this standing behind me?” Spencer asked. The scared, young man shook his head yes. At that point, the rest of the team had made their way into the house.

“Just give me the knife,” Spencer kept saying to him over and over. He was shaking his head yes and let go of the children. They ran towards Ophelia and Seaver, the two women removing the children from the middle of the hostage situation. Two police officers took them and the women stood back watching the scene play out. As the unsub was heading towards Spencer, he suddenly lunged towards his neck. A shot came from Rossi and the unsub was still on the ground. Spencer called for a medic, knowing there wasn't much hope for the man either way.

In less than two hours, the BAU was back on their jet headed home. The rest of the team was occupied doing heir own leisure activities. Ophelia pulled out the book she had borrowed from Spencer and began reading it from where she had originally marked it. She felt someone sit beside her on the couch. It was Spencer, sipping from a disposable coffee cup. He pulled out a simple MP3 player and put the headphones on. Ophelia and Spencer sat like this for about forty five minutes before she put the book down and tapped his leg to get his attention. He jumped, taking off his headphones and giving her his attention.

“Stop me if you don't want to answer, but, how did you barely flinch when he came at you like that”? She asked him.

“I guess I've been looking fear in the eyes for so long that it's hard to phase me anymore. Maybe doing this job for this long does that to you. Or, it is quite possible it has only taken this long to become a bad ass,” he said with a smirk. Ophelia laughed at his joke and smiled.

“Well I hope I can become as bad ass as you one day,” she said, placing a comforting hand on the young doctors knee. As she went back to her book, she missed the blush across Spencer's face. Within ten minutes, she had dozed off to sleep once more on Spencer's chest, him using his messenger bag as a pillow all the way back to Quantico.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

“I don't mean to act like this is pointless, but why do I need this assessment? I never had the opportunity to meet or work with Emily,” Ophelia said. Hotch adjusted in his seat and opened the folder in front of him.

“I'm aware of that. Your perspective on this is more of an outsiders view on the team in general. I need to know if anyone has been acting out. If anyone has been exhibiting signs of unhealthy grief. coping or coping mechanisms,” he said, ready to write down her responses.

“Sir, everyone grieves differently. We had some family friends when I was a child. They got into a car accident, wife killed on impact. The husband used to be the coroner and when he realized she was dead, he died instantly from grief. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I've witnessed children lose their fathers and accept it from day one without shedding a tear. Grief is way too personal to observe, especially on people that I have known for less than a month. I am so sorry that I can't be of more help to you,” she said. Hotch closed the folder after writing down a few sentences.

“No need to be sorry Agent. Thank you for cooperating,” he replied with a smile. Ophelia walked out of his office and over to her desk. She started in on her reports when Spencer wheeled his chair over next to her. He gave her a side eye and she automatically knew he was going to know if she was lying or not.

“Alright, you convinced me! Hotch did my grief assessment over Emily,” she said. Spencer put his elbow on her desk, resting his head in his hand. Tears brimmed at his eyes, but they quickly went away when he started speaking.

“I don't understand, why do you need the assessment?” he asked.

“I'm thinking Strauss was hoping I would be a mole, give away everyone's emotions. Even if someone had come and confided in me, I never would have done that. Society has created this bullshit five step program for grief. I don't believe in it and never will. We all handle traumatic situations differently. Who am I to judge or tell someone how to grieve?” she said, getting slightly worked up about the situation at hand. Spencer smiled sweetly at her.

“And that is why you are going to fit in great here,” he said, organizing the papers and case files on her desk.

“And just how long until I actually feel like I properly belong?” she asked.

“I'd say either during your first holiday here, first birthday here, or until someone pranks you,” Spencer said while separating her mixed writing instruments.

“Well my birthday is August 12th, so that comes before any holidays. And I've got to be honest, I'm hoping the birthday comes before the prank,” she laughed. Spencer gave her a sly smirk, as if he was already planning a prank for her. She innocently hit him with the case file in her hand and he put up his hands in defense. Garcia walked into the bullpen, eying them as if they were teenagers flirting in high school and she was the study hall teacher.

“Um, we were just talking about her time here, it's not what you think,” started Spencer. The more he tried to cover up how they were acting, the more he started stuttering and blushing. Garcia simply handed them both a new case file and winked before walking away. They got up from their chairs and headed towards the briefing room.

“You know, you are right, I love the sense of humor around here,” she said, teasing the young doctor so he blushed once again. Before he could say anything back, the rest of the team was piling into the room. He sat across the table from her and mouthed “This isn't over” to her. In a room full of profilers, she knew that little action was going to be read more than one hundred ways.

“Alright my lovelies. We are looking at a shooting in Tampa. One woman entered the gun shop and shot the four men inside. Witnesses say she was extremely calm when she left. I don't have much beyond that,” Garcia said.

“She's probably not done then. Wheels up in thirty guys,” Hotch said, cuing their exit from the briefing room. They all grabbed their go bags and were on the plane promptly, knowing this woman was quickly going to escalate. As they were going over the details of the case further on the jet, Ophelia felt something tickling her leg. Immediately grabbing her attention she looked across the table. There was Spencer with a mischievous grin on his face. She could feel her face going tomato red. In any other situation, she would loudly call him out for this. But seeing as how they were currently discussing a murder case, this wasn't the time and place. And she knew that Spencer knew that.

“Any thoughts PhiPhi,” asked Rossi, dragging her out of her in mind discussion.

“Um, no, not on this one,” she said, trying to remain calm. Spencer then stuck his foot up her dress pants and was touching her knee. She visibly jumped in her seat to the point everyone noticed.

“Hey, are you ok?” Seaver asked her.

“Yea, I'm fine! Just figured some stuff out this morning that I keep thinking about,” she said, brushing off the concern of everyone else. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Spencer giving her an odd look, obviously not getting what she was hinting at. Everyone went silent and in their own minds at this point. Ophelia was cursing herself for becoming attracted to Spencer. She knew dating within the sector was strictly forbidden. She also knew that Spencer was only doing this to make her feel included. They landed in Tampa and got their job assignments from Hotch. She was heading to the crime scene with Hotch and Rossi, then to the office to compile evidence with Spencer. They got to the gun store and immediately Ophelia went to the bullets on the floor.

“Either she was handed a box of ammunition and she left with it, or she came here with these,” she said, picking them up with her glove.

“Well there is a .38 missing from the case, but it appears as though there are no missing boxes of bullets. So my best guess, she had the bullets at her home, came here for the gun. She knew was going to fail her licensing, so she loaded, shot everyone here who would have realized, and left,” Hotch said, pointing to the blank paperwork attached to the clipboard.

“Or there is something about today that didn't allow her to wait the three days for the paperwork to clear,” Rossi said. Ophelia had everything compiled in her notes and headed back to the station. She entered the office and found Reid with a map on one board, victimology one one, and key evidence on another. She picked up the marker and began writing the notes she had down, she was done and went over to where Spencer was hovering over the map.

“Got anything yet?” she asked him. He was putting a new marker on the map.

“Nothing but thin theories and guesses. Hotch and Rossi just arrived at the second crime scene, which they got called to while you were headed here. Um, what on Earth does that board say?” he said, pointing at what she had written down.

“My notes, from the crime scene,” she said, waiting for the next call from Hotch and Rossi.

“It's chicken scratch,” he said back to her.

“You know, they say bad handwriting is the sign of a genius,” she said, knowing the comment would get under his skin.

“I have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, and can read 20,000 words per minute. I'm a proverbial genius and my hand writing is very neat,” he said, attempting to defend himself.

“Whatever you say Dr. Reid,” she said as he was rewriting what she had put on the board.

“So, I was thinking she is possibly in an abusive relationship and the gun was locked away so she couldn't get it. She goes to the gun store and then this happens. Like I said, all conjecture and purely guessing,” he said, getting back to business. Spencer's cell phone rang and he put it on speaker.

“So, she just shot the unarmed security guard. From what we have gathered, it seems as though he was the only one getting in her way. The next question is who is she trying to confront?” Hotch said before ending the call with them. It wasn't long before a report came in that she had shot a police officer and nearly ran another over at a police stop in the city. The young duo put another marker on the map, giving them a third area.

“She's erratic, but it doesn't look like she is trying to make an escape. She circled back, she could have gotten away. At this point, she is just evading capture and trying to get to the person she wants to confront,” Ophelia said to the whole group. They all agreed, trying to connect everything.

“Garcia, the witnesses said she was trying to comfort a child at the mall. Can you look up any incidents where the death of a child took place on this date or around it?” Hotch asked. Typing was heard on the other line before Garcia spoke up.

“Shelley Chamberlin was hit by a theif in a high speed chase. A police officer died and her son also died in the crash. It appears as though the police officer's death made the front page but no one commented on the son's. Oh no, and it was his birthday too,” she said with sadness in her voice.

“Well, that's the stresser, and one hell of one too,” Rossi said. While part of the team is delivering a press conference, the other half containing Spencer, Morgan, and Ophelia go to the ex-husbands house to try and warn him of his e-wife's rampage. They got there and no one was home. They started looking around and seeing all of the ordinary items you would in a single male household.

“There is nothing here to even hint at the fact that this man had a son. Maybe that's what set the unsub off,” Ophelia said. Spencer picked up a small keepsake box from on top of a bookshelf and opened it on an end table. He pulled out multiple items, obviously from his past with his son.

“No, it looks like he grieved and got over it in a healthy manner. There's a home movie in here, and what appears to be flags from the restaurant they celebrated his last three birthdays at. Guys, I bet this is where she is headed and I bet the father is with her,” Spencer said finally connecting the dots. Morgan was on the phone and the three of them were rushing to the car, getting an address and heading to the location. Morgan sped through the city while the two of them were attempting to give directions. He took a sharp turn, sending Ophelia into Spencer's lap. All she could think is that Spencer and the rest of the world were trying to play some innocent yet cruel prank on her. Both agents looked at each other and blushed, getting back to the directions. They got to the burger joint, already being joined by the rest of the BAU and the local police force.

“Alright, I'm going in alone. Wait for me call if I need back up,” Hotch said, holstering his gun and pulling out a picture of the unsub and her child.

“How often does he call for backup?” Ophelia asked Spencer.

“Rarely. Hotch is amazing at this kind of stuff,” he said, pulling out sunglasses. He handed an extra pair to Ophelia, remembering her aversion to the sunlight. In about twenty minutes, Hotch was walking out with the husband and the wife was escorted out in hand cuffs.

Back at the BAU office, Hotch was finishing up the remaining grief assessments. Ophelia was catching up on her reports before leaving. She finally caught them all up and was prepared to hand them in when Spencer was done with his assessment. The door opened and she met him in the doorway. Hotch took her reports and thanked her before Morgan was called into the office.

“Hey Spence, wait up,” she said. He stopped and turned to her, giving a small smile of acknowledgment.

“Do you want to come over and watch a movie or something?” she asked.

“Actually yea, that sounds fun,” he said. She drove to her place since Spencer takes the metro into work everyday. They arrived and while she was prepping popcorn, Spencer was trying to choose a movie.

“I'm sorry, I am so lame. I haven't even heard of most of these. I recognize Twilight because it came up during one of our cases. Is it any good?” he asked almost embarrassed. She giggled and grabbed the DVD case, sitting on the couch and Spencer joining her.

“Oh trust me, you are going to hate it. It's a terrible movie. But, I love it. And since you can't escape, you are forcibly watching this atrocity with me,” she said, lifting her feet onto the couch. Spencer got up real quick and turned the lights off so the screen was more brightly lit. The all too familiar scene started panning over the woods. It was about fifteen minutes into the movie when she looked over at Spencer. A tear was coming out of his eye. She grabbed his hand and turned the volume down.

“Emily was the one who joked around about Twilight on that case,” he said, more tears coming from his eyes. Ophelia set the popcorn bowl aside and pulled him close to her out of instinct. He wrapped his arms around her, sobbing into her chest. She just held him close, running her fingers soothingly up and down his back.

“I promise it gets better Spence,” she said, placing a small kiss on the top of his head. He looked up at her slowly with swollen eyes. Before she could react, he was lightly kissing her. She was shocked, but her hands went his neck and she was kissing him back. His hands were tangled in her long blond hair. Slowly, she laid back and Spencer was lightly laying on top of her, kissing her more and more passionately. Suddenly, it must have hit both of them what was happening. They both sat up and straightened their appearances. He looked back at her and she smiled, wiping her lipstick off of him.

“I am so sorry, I don't do things like that,” he said, fretting and running his hands through his hair. Ophelia grabbed his hands and brought them into her lap.

“We all grieve differently Spence. We are friends and I am here for you. I would never judge you,” she said. He gave her a sideways looks, his tears starting to fade.

“Once during a case, I was kidnapped. The unsub, the innocent part of him, used dilaudid to try and make me forget what was happening. After I was rescued, I acquired an addiction to dilaudid. It took me quite a while to break it. Going through this and the memories of her everywhere makes it so hard. Sometimes, the urges to use come back. Being surrounded by friends helps so much. That's why I was so happy to come over here tonight. I am so sorry for venting and crying,” he said, composed at this point.

“Spencer Reid, you are the sweetest person I have ever met. No amount of venting, or crying, or history could ever change my mind. We all have our baggage. Back in high school, I was in an abusive relationship. He threatened to kill me if I ever broke up with him. So, I also had my coping mechanisms. I abused barbiturates. I stole them from my family members and bought them from kids at school. Eventually the police arrested the guy for assaulting me in public. My parents got me into rehab immediately. I was clean until the hearing. I relapsed for a short period and voluntarily went back to rehab. I've been clean since,” she said, pulling her coin from her pocket. It had a six year insignia on it. Spencer pulled his coin out reading three years.

“I never would have guessed,” he said quietly.

“Me either,” she responded. Spencer took the DVD player remote and backed the DVD up to where they had quit watching it. He pulled Ophelia between his legs on the couch so her head was resting on his chest. They watched the rest of the movie in silence before they both drifted off to sleep, both of them first the first time without some kind of aid in a long time.


End file.
